tire rubbing the swing arm

[tedfeast]

hey folks!
heres a question I'm suers been asked, but i can't find an answer so..
my 81 gl has 83 parts all over it, the PO put the 83 rims on it, didn't change the swing arm, and yup, the tire is rubbing.
I'm new at working on these bikes so my question is… could i just grind out the offending area on the right, inner side of the swing arm thats rubbing the tire, or should i take the more expensive and time consuming route of replacing the swing arm, bearings , spacers etc? that is if grinding would even work?
i haven't even dug into it yet , but I'm trying to get all my ducks in a row before i start.
so yeah, grind or replace parts?
thanks a ton for your time in advance!
this site has been a life saver.

[CYBORG]

depends where its rubbing. Is the tire the stock size recommended for that application?

[tedfeast]

No its not.
I figure the PO assumed it would fit, but the swingarm clearly shows its for a 130/tire,
And the rims are for the 140 rear.
Not 100% sure where its rubbing yet, but its on the right side.
Just trying to figure out if grinding away the trouble spot would be OK, if its rubbing the swing arm.

[CYBORG]

I guess that depends on how much you grand off, and where you grind. Important to know where its rubbing

[tedfeast]

Right.
OK well, I guess I'll dig in a little deeper, and maybe get a pic or two, and come back again when I've got more data!
Thanks guys!

[CYBORG]

good plan. Also list the tire size

[hmratbam]

The dimple in the swingarm is in a different place on the older swingarm because of the different size tire. Remove
the wheel and apply a little massaging with a gentle sized hammer and your problem will go away. There is a web where the swingarm halves are joined,this is almost certainly what is rubbing. You can grind it off but that removes the connection in that area,weakening the swingarm. You could reweld and grind that area or you can simply move it away from the tire and fold the web over for clearance. That's what I did on the Bopper with no ill effects. I had a 16"X 3.5 Harley wheel on it with a 140 tire.

[tedfeast]

That's what I was thinking.
I saw the weld and figured I needed to stay clear of it if I was gonna grind it.
But giving it a little percussive adjustment seems like a good idea.
OK. Cool .
I'll still get in there and see what I can see obviously.
Thanks!

[Old Fogey]

You may find hat it's rubbing on the brake torque stay too.